Mouth opening and closing structure for handbags



May 18, 1954 D. R. SPILMAN 2,678,672

MOUTH OPENING AND CLOSING STRUCTURE FOR HANDBAGS Filed July 16, 1951 IN VEN TOR.

il y flew 5 9/7074 BY 1 41/ g ATTORNEK Patented May 18, 1954 OFFICE MOUTH OPENING AND CLOSING STRUC- TURE FOR HANDBAGS Dewey R. Spilman, Albuquerque, N. Mex.

Application July 16, 1951, Serial No. 236,880

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to improvements in receptacles and particularly to open-top handbags, the primary object being to provide opening and closing structure for the handbag to facilitate quick and easy access to the contents thereof.

It is the most important object of the present invention to provide a pouch-like handbag of flexible material provided with an open-top and having a peripheral row of openings formed therein to receive a draw-cord or like closing structure, together with opposed means received by certain of such openings for facilitating opening of the bag against the action of the drawcords.

A further object of this invention is to provide a handbag as above set forth, wherein the closing means for the bag comprises a pair of opposed loops both completely surrounding the bag adjacent its open top and both threaded through all of the openings of the .bag, together with a pair of opposed secondary loops threaded through certain of the openings for facilitating opening of the bag as the secondary loops are moved apart.

These and other objects will be made clear or become apparent as the following specification progresses, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a side elevational view of mouth opening and closing structure for handbags made pursuant to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the handbag showing the same in the open condition; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view taken on line III-III of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

The handbag illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive of the drawing is broadly designated by the numeral Ill and while its shape and contour may vary from its pouch-like nature, it is to be preferred that the same have an open top i2 and constituting the sole means of access to the interior thereof.

Bag is made entirely from flexible material that may include various types of leather, fabric or the like and when the same is in the open condition, its cross-sectional contour may either be cylindrical or elliptical as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing, depending upon the shape or type of bag desired.

A continuous row of relatively small, spacedapart openings I4 is provided in the bag adjacent to, but spaced slightly below, the open top I2 thereof for receiving the openings and closing structure hereof. Means for gathering together of the material forming th bag In adjacent the open top I2 in the manner illustrated by Fig. 1 of the drawing, includes a pair of continuous cord-like loops [6 and I B of identical character. Both loops I6 and I8 completely surround the bag In and both are threaded through all of the openings M in the manner illustrated by Fig. 3 of the drawing.

Bight 20 of loop I6 is disposed adjacent one end of the bag I0 and the ends of the loop l6 extend beyond the opposite end of bag l0 and are preferably interconnected by a knot 22. Similarly, bight 24 of the loop I8 is disposed adjacent the opposite end of bag I0 and the ends of loop i8 that project beyond bag [0 at bight 20 are interconnected by a knot 26. It is appreciated that when the knotted ends of the loops I5 and I8 are grasped and moved apart, bights 20 and 24 will be moved toward each other and the bag I 0 gathered at its open mouth l2 and closed as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing.

Such construction makes it somewhat diflicult to re-open the bag Ill to the condition shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawing since it becomes necessary for the user to wedge his fingers into the bag I0 at the open mouth l2 thereof and attempt to cause the bights 20 and 24 to separate and. thereby spread the open mouth I2 to the condition shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

Accordingly, there is provided a pair of secondary loops 28 and 30 at opposite ends of the bag H3 adjacent the bights 20 and 24 respectively. Each loop 2830 is threaded through but one pair of openings I4, loop 28 extending through the openings I4 from which the knotted ends of loop [8 extend and conversely, the secondary loop 3!) passes through the openings from which the knotted ends of loop IE6 project.

In order to easily identify the secondary loops 28 and 30, the same are preferably relatively small and knotted as at 32 to threadably receive a perforated, decorative knob 34. It is now seen that when the bag I0 is in the closed condition as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, a user may easily and quickly find the secondary loops 2B and 30 by reaching for the knobs 34. Pulling of the knobs 34 away from each other operates to separate the bights 20 and 24 of primary loops [6 and 18 respectively, thereby opening the bag [0 as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawing. It is clear that neither the opening nor the closing means for the bag II) will interfere with the use thereof for its intended purpose and that the loops [6, I8, 28 and 30-add to the attractiveness 3 of the handbag in addition to roviding the utilitarian purposes above set forth.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

In a handbag having an open top, pouch-like body of flexible material provided with a peripheral row of openings adjacent the uppermost marginal edges thereof, a pair of opposedprimary loops, each loop being separate from the body and having a bight, the bights being in opposed relationship, each loop being threaded through said openings for gathering the body together, as the bights are moved toward each other, into folds adjacent said top thereof and tothereby close said top of tthe body, each bight spanning the distance between a respective pair of openings exteriorly of the body; and a secondary loop separate from the body and threaded through certain of said openings adjacent each bight respectively for spreading the body to unfold the same, and for moving said. bights away from each other, as the. secondary loops are moved away from each other, whereby to open said, top of the. body, each primary loop passing through all of the openings, each secondary loop passing through one of said pair of openings and having a bight spanning the distance therebetween within the body, whereby to dispose portions of the body between the bights of the secondary loops, the bight of each secondary loop being threaded through the bight of a corresponding primary loop, whereby to.- transmit a direct pull on the primary loops when the secondary loops are moved apart to open the body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,092,955 Shaver Apr. 14, 1914 1,110'13533 Gamble Dec. 5, 1916 2,563,616 P'erino Aug. '7, 1951 2,580,796 Kleiss et al. Jan. 1, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 128,153 Great Britain June 19, 1919 859'A82 France Dec. 19, 1940 

